Happy New Year!
by Connor the speling pro
Summary: New Year's parties aren't Zelda's specialty, but it doesn't take a genius to pick out underlyng tones beneath the celebration. What looks like an innocent dress-up New Year's party forces Zelda to come to terms with questions about her own identity.


**Hey, Everyone. Happy New Year. :) It's a little past midnight here on the west coast, so I thought that I'd post my smash bros oneshot. I tried to make it more lighthearted and less serious than most of what I write, and it was an interesting experiment. I still couldn't stray away from writing about childhood turmoil, though. ._.**

 **Anyways, I'm not really a smash bros writer by trade; I tend to write Earthbound Fanfics (probably could have guessed by my profile picture). But I do enjoy writing about other characters and I hope that you like this fic! :)**

* * *

"I can't _believe_ that you didn't dress up as Shiek."

Most people wouldn't have recognized that voice. It sounded strong, probing, invasive.

Nothing like how Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom normally acted.

"Seriously," Peach said. "You know, we're supposed to dress up as someone who represents a part of us for this New Year's party. It's just like Halloween, but more personal. Shiek would have been the natural choice."

"Everyone's dressing up as their aliases, huh?" Zelda let a smile come to her face. "Good for them."

"Come _on,_ Zelda," Peach said. Even though she still faced away from the princess, Zelda could almost _see_ Peach rolling her eyes. "Where's your holiday spirit?"

Zelda turned around to face Peach. Unlike normal, she was cloaked in a dark dress. Her face was pale and her sharpened teeth looked like they could cut through human flesh.

Zelda grimaced.

"What's with the gothic look?" she said. "I know that you're an angsty teenager at heart, but…"

Peach turned her nose up, putting her hands on her hips.

"Excuse me?" she said. "I'm the Shadow Queen."

"That doesn't make you sound any less angsty."

Peach sniffed, sticking her nose up.

"You mean I never _told_ you about that incident? I would have thought for sure that it would have come up over the last year or so."

"Incident?"

"Well, I might just have to leave you in suspense for now," Peach said with a wink. "But this isn't just me trying to act edgy. I have a past too, same as you."

"And your past involves… looking like a vampire?"

"We royal princesses lead interesting lives, no?" Peach yawned, stretching her arms up to the sky. "And trust me, the look is nothing compared to what actually happened to me."

"And you… still don't want to tell me? It seems like you do."

Peach sighed.

"Not a whole lot to say. I was captured by some freaks, possessed by a demon, forced to fight Mario…"

Zelda blinked.

"You know, the usual." Peach smiled. "Come on, let's get to this party thing. I'm going to get totally wasted."

Peach walked off through the metal halls of the Smash Bros. fighters living quarters.

"And you're _sure_ that this costume of yours isn't affecting your mind in some way?" Zelda said.

Peach halted, turning back to grin at Zelda.

"When did I ever make that claim?"

* * *

Peach and alcohol were a decidedly bad mix.

Zelda tried to stick by Peach during the party, but she found herself grinding her teeth after less than an hour. Peach told stories of all of Mario's most embarrassing moments, her own triumphs, and how every Christmas tradition was secretly some sort of pagan ritual. The stories got more outlandish the more alcohol Peach consumed, and after a time Zelda couldn't take it anymore.

"Peach," Zelda hissed. "I'm going to go around and talk to some other people."

"Sure, sure," Peach slurred. "You're not… you can do whate'er you want, Zeldy."

 _Zeldy?_

Peach seemed to break out of her drunken stupor for a moment and winked at Zelda. Was the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom just _pretending_ to be drunk? Zelda never knew what was an act where Peach was concerned.

"Seriously," Peach said, her voice now unaffected by the alcohol. "I'm fine here. Go socialize. Have fun." Peach paused, looking across the room. "Ah, Mario's finally here. I might have to stop talking shit about him."

"Peach…"

"What?" Peach raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely confused.

"Your language."

"Are you _serious?"_

"Nintendo guidelines…"

"Fuck the guidelines." Peach took another swig of wine. "It's goddamn New Year's Eve."

"Kids might be watching-"

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Peach placed her glass of wine down and rolled her eyes. "They're just _words._ If all the kids start saying them, then we'll make up more words that are forbidden to them. Even the word 'bad' used to be a slur, you know."

Zelda paused.

"Really?"

"I saw it somewhere on the internet. Must be true." Peach shrugged. "Now go and have some fun. You could try some drugs too, you know."

"Drugs?"

"Alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, caffeine…" Peach trailed off. "Although caffeine may not be the greatest idea right now, I suppose. Still addictive and deadly in high doses, though, so you get the same sort of thrill"

"You make quite the persuasive argument, but I must decline." Zelda turned to walk off. "Have fun telling more fart jokes, Shadow Queen."

"Yes, yes." Peach nursed her glass of wine. "Have fun doing whatever _you_ do at parties."

The words hurt harder than Peach had intended. What _did_ Zelda do at parties? She had participated in several celebrations back in Hyrule, but those were usually tamer. Hylian nobles acted aloof, but at least they gave Zelda enough personal space to function. Here in this loud room, Zelda felt like she was about to suffocate.

She walked over to the corner of the room to see a boy wearing what looked like a pilot's helmet leaning on the wall. The helmet obscured most of his face, and Zelda could see her own reflection in the screen that covered his eyes. The boy looked at her with lips drawn in a perfectly straight line, his expression more machine than human.

A moment later, something tipped her off.

"Lucas," she said.

The boy smiled.

"Had to narrow it down between me and Ness, huh? It must have been difficult for you."

While other people let loose strings of words tumble out of their mouths, Lucas put his mind and heart into every syllable. Zelda could spend a lifetime studying the inflections of his voice and still barely understand how he managed to give each sound so much _weight._

"Well, there's Villager as well," Zelda said. "And some people are bringing guests. You could have been anyone."

"Ah…" Lucas smiled. "But you knew it was me. Do I still unsettle you, Zelda?"

"At times." _Now being one of them._

Lucas took off his helmet, revealing his normal face. He looked at Zelda with deep eyes, which almost distracted her from the fact that he had dyed his hair red.

"You're dressing up as your brother," Zelda said. "The same one that…"

"That I killed." Lucas put a hand on his chin. "You can say it, Zelda."

Zelda waited for some comment about how she _wasn't_ dressed up as Shiek, but Lucas looked away. His eyes scanned over the crowd, and Zelda could tell that he was drinking in every detail.

"I find most costume dress-ups facetious," Lucas said. "Superfluous. But this… it gives us a glance into how other people see themselves. Just look at how everyone's dressed up. Some of the costumes are rather arbitrary, such as Mario in that silly Tanooki suit of his, but for others…"

Zelda followed Lucas' lead, looking at people conversing around tables piled with chips, cookies, and alcohol. Some of the choices did surprise her. She had expected Ness to come dressed in his pajamas—that seemed to be a running joke with him—but instead it looked like he was dressed up in some sort of bulky robot suit. She asked Lucas what it meant.

"It was how he faced his enemy Giygas," Lucas explained. "He needed to travel back in time to fight a weaker version of Giygas, but bodies can't travel backwards through time easily. Tears flesh to shreds, from what I hear. Minds, however… well, you can stick a mind inside of just about anything, and they move through time more easily."

So it was more than just a silly costume for him, just as how Peach's Shadow Queen dress-up seemed to carry some sort of significance for her.

"Ness knew that if he went back in time, he would probably be lost there forever." Lucas looked Zelda in the eye. "Even if he beat Giygas, he would likely wander around an empty landscape for all eternity. That would weigh on anyone, even someone obnoxiously upbeat like Ness."

"I… never knew."

"It always amazes me how _deep_ we are," Lucas said. "And how often we ignore that depth."

Zelda smiled.

"After all this time, you still haven't lost your habit of talking like an academic. Peach always figured that was a defense mechanism. She thought that if you looked at all of the _logic_ in the world then your own reality wouldn't seem so crushing."

"Maybe." Lucas shrugged. "I'm sorry if I come off as… condescending. It's not my intention. I am just better at examining people than interacting with them."

"Well, what do we have here?" came another voice.

A woman walked up to Zelda, her eyes and forehead obscured by a mask. She flashed a smile.

"Lucina," Lucas said. "I like your outfit."

"Thanks," Lucina said.

Zelda couldn't see her eyes behind the mask, but she imagined them twinkling. Lucina turned back towards the hallway behind her.

"Dad, are you coming?" she shouted.

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

"So what are you two doing?" Lucina said, turning back towards Zelda and Lucas. "I see a party going on in front of us, and I also see two people leaning on the wall twiddling their thumbs."

"Oh, we were just talking about how you and Dark Pit shouldn't have even been included in this game," Lucas said casually.

Lucina's body stiffened.

"Gah," Lucina said, her expression relaxing after a moment. "You make me want to give that smug little face of yours a slap… And besides, you're hardly one to talk, _DLC boy._ "

Lucas shrugged.

"Point taken. Now who is that man behind you? I don't believe we've ever met."

Zelda looked over to see a man standing right behind Lucina. They looked similar, close enough to be siblings.

"You never told me that you had an older brother, Lucina," Zelda said. "But I guess since now _is_ the time to bring guests…"

"Um…" Lucina cleared her throat. "This is Chrom. He's actually my… father."

Zelda looked back and forth between Lucina and Chrom. She would have guessed that they were only a couple years apart. Brother and sister made sense. Father and daughter…? Zelda didn't know if she bought that.

"Well, nice to meet you," Lucas said, extending a hand towards Chrom. "I assume that your ages are the result of either immortality or time travel shenanigans?"

"Time travel," Chrom said, shaking Lucas' hand. "Always time travel. And we _have_ seen each other before. I come out during Robin's Final Smash."

"Oh," Lucas said. "I never play with Smash balls on. Honestly, I forgot that they were even a thing."

"You… don't?" Chrom frowned.

"I don't either," Lucina said. "You, Zelda?"

"I hate to say it, but…" Zelda blushed, looking at Chrom. "It feels kind of like cheating."

"Hmph." Chrom crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I _am_ a part of Smash Bros."

Zelda could see a light bulb going off in Lucas' head.

"Oh, I recognize you!" Lucas said. "I sometimes see you in Robin's victory screen."

"I…" Chrom frowned. "I'm more than just a prop in the game, you know."

"All right." Lucina let out a laugh. "Maybe we should move on, dad. There are plenty more people to meet."

"If you say so…"

Chrom and Lucina walked off.

"It was nice meeting you," Zelda said.

"Yeah, and sorry about the teasing," Lucas said. "I'm not _quite_ as obnoxious once you get to know me."

Chrom smirked in the same way that Lucina had while first approaching Zelda and Lucas.

"Ah, I'm used to it," he said. "I should tell you about the time one of my subordinates punched me in the face for not paying attention."

"Sounds like he needs some new subordinates," Zelda said once they were gone. "What time is it?"

"I mean, there's a giant clock right in front of you," Lucas said. "We have thirty minutes until midnight."

Zelda looked up at the tower outside the window of the party room. A massive ball stood at the top of a pole, and a clock above the pole read the time to more decimal places than anyone would ever need.

 _Ah yes,_ Zelda thought. _The annual tradition of the ball drop, taken from Earth._

"I have to admit that this entire custom of a New Year's party is strange to me," Zelda said. "In Hyrule, we didn't particularly care when we needed to change calendars."

"Yeah, and not every place on Earth celebrates New Year's the same way," Lucas said. "In my town, we didn't even think about years. Seasons and harvests were enough. And even in the developed world, different regions of the world have different calendars, according to Ness."

"Well, any ideas as for what to do until the ball drops?" Zelda said.

"I'm just going to keep observing," Lucas said. "But don't feel like you have to stay with me. I can function perfectly well on my own. Thanks to the help that you and Peach gave me, that is."

Zelda felt her cheeks redden.

"Well, we're a team, right?" she said. "We help each other out. I don't' really know what I would do on my own either, since Peach is either drunk or pretending to be drunk."

"Ah, alcohol. The universal slayer of silence. I really should try it sometime."

Zelda opened her mouth to respond, but closed it when she saw Shulk leading an entire entourage into the party room. He held hands with a girl his age while others bustled in behind him.

"Well, would you look at that," Zelda said. "Shulk has a _girlfriend."_

"Well, there _is_ more to him than memes," Lucas said. "You two are actually pretty similar, now that I think about it. Quiet, thoughtful… the only difference is that he comes off as kind of oblivious."

"What about you, Lucas?" Zelda said. "Are there any cute girls back in your town?"

"I…" Lucas' cheeks reddened. "Where did _that_ come from?"

"Well?"

"I feel no obligation to answer that question."

Zelda smiled.

"Someone's pretty, huh?"

"Why do you…" Lucas cut himself off, taking a deep breath. "That actually hits a bit of a nerve, Zelda."

 _Oh._

"I mean, who _wouldn't_ appreciate a bit of romance in their lives?" Lucas said. "After all, it stimulates the brain like drugs or exercise… What's not to like?"

 _Exercise?_

"But it wouldn't be fair," Lucas said, shaking his head. "Nobody should have to deal with me more than they have to."

"I mean, Peach and I are already…"

"That's different and you know it. You help me when I need it, but for the most part we leave each other alone. That wouldn't fly in a romantic relationship. You know more about me than most people do, Zelda. I carry too much baggage with me to really make someone else happy."

"You've done a lot of thinking about this, I see."

"Well, since I don't really _do_ much anymore, thinking is all that's left." A spark flew out from Lucas' hand, and he cursed under his breath. "Shall we go say hello? I actually like Shulk quite a bit."

"I don't see why not. I'd like to meet Shulk's friends for myself."

* * *

Shulk's friends, as it turned out, were more diverse than Zelda expected.

Despite the tendency for him to become part of a meme, Zelda recognized what Lucas said about Shulk. He seemed quiet, studious, methodical. Not lonely or antisocial, necessarily, but also not completely aware of the world around him. She expected most of his friends to be the same.

Boy, was she wrong.

She exchanged greetings with Reyn, who shared Shulk's oblivious nature but tended towards the louder side. She soon moved onto the others. She next encountered Reyn's opposite, a quiet girl who introduced herself as Melia. She reminded Zelda of the Hylian nobles before Ganondorf's purge: she talked with an icy politeness that most people would have found off-putting.

During that time, she spotted Lucas talking with a woman wearing a rifle and what looked like an animated ball of fur.

"Heropon Riki glad to introduce Luke Luke to sidekicks," the puffball said, striking a confident pose. "Friends will stay on their best behavior or answer to Riki."

"I feel," the woman said, "That _we_ should be making that threat to you." She smirked, turning towards Lucas. "I apologize for Riki. However he comes off, know that he does mean well."

"Riki always mean well, and Riki always _do_ well." Riki ran circles around Lucas, swinging around a staff. He skidded to a halt, holding his staff to the sky while striking another pose. "Chief Dunga name Riki heropon for good reason. Luke Luke will never fear with Riki to protect him."

"He appointed you because _someone_ had to do it and you were the deepest in debt," the woman said with a laugh. "Everyone wanted you gone."

"Sharla is cruel and unfair." Riki gave her a playful tap with his staff. "Riki is most heroic and brave of all nopon."

"Yes you are," the woman said, bending down and rubbing his head. "Where would we be without you, o glorious heropon?"

Lucas looked on without saying a word; Zelda couldn't tell if he was amused or uncomfortable. She introduced herself to the rest of Shulk's friends. Shulk himself wandered off with his girlfriend Fiora while Reyn gobbled down platefuls of cookies and Melia looked on at the entire party with an air of distaste. Riki and Sharla continued their banter, and Lucas occasionally cut in with a quip.

With everyone else occupied, Zelda found herself talking to Fiora's older brother Dunban (or "Dundun," as Riki introduced him). Having nothing else to do, they started up a conversation.

They talked about the landscapes and civilizations that their worlds had built. Dunban seemed fascinated by the almost hivemind race of Gerudo in the desert while Zelda took great interest in the civilization of sentient machines that called themselves "machina." The more that she learned about the customs of practices of Dunban's world, the more that she related it back to Hyrule. Despite technological differences, the homs of Bionis and the Hylians lived similar lives.

And Zelda and Dunban shared more in common than living in similar worlds.

"Thanks for talking to me about this," Zelda said. "Even here, trapped inside of this steel building, hearing about your world makes me feel at home."

Dunban raised an eyebrow.

"You mean that they won't let you go home?"

"Oh, I suppose that they will… but I can't spend too much time there. It's painful."

"I think that I know what you mean," Dunban said. "In my world, everyone had lost loved ones to the war. Our lives were terrifying, but it was all we had ever known. I don't think that I could ever forget the dark times living in Colony 9, and I would never want to. I hated the fear. I hated the misery. But it was still home."

"I…" By the goddesses, why did the word "home" make Zelda want to break down and cry? "When I look back at Hyrule, all I can see is the darkness. Even after Link saved us all, I can only see a land that Ganondorf left ravaged and desolated." Zelda shook her head.

"We all carry scars," Dunban said. "And we all carry reminders."

He reached down and patted his right arm with his left. His right arm lay limp at his side; it hadn't moved the entire time that they had talked.

"This arm represents one of the hardest times in my life," Dunban said. "Fighting off machines with only the base urge to kill. But it was one of the best times in my life, too. I was fighting for a cause I truly believed in. I don't think that you'll ever lose the darkness inside of your heart, Zelda. I didn't. But when I fought against the mechon for the survival of my entire race, the darkness didn't seem to matter as much."

"I see."

"However, the path of a warrior is not for everyone." Dunban looked at the massive clock outside the window. "I've seen it break as many people as it helped. More, in fact."

"Zelda." She turned around to see Lucas walking towards her. "The ball's dropping soon and I need to make sure to talk to Peach before the year's over. Do you want to come with me, or…?"

"Talk to Peach?" Zelda frowned. "I wouldn't exactly advise it right now. What for?"

Lucas smiled, putting his helmet back on.

"She owes me money for losing a bet. A personal suggestion from me to both of you: don't bet against psychics. It generally doesn't end well."

"I'll keep that in mind." Dunban looked over at Shulk, who was conversing with Fiora. "I put my money on Shulk every time, and he hasn't let me down yet."

 _I guess Shulk is a psychic, in a way,_ Zelda thought. _I wonder what it would be like to see the future._

One look at Lucas' wry smile told her not to ask.

"So what did you bet on?" Zelda said.

"Actually, it was about you." Lucas turned around and started walking off. "Peach was certain that you would dress up as Sheik. But she said it best herself before."

"She said what?"

"Princess Zelda is your costume." Lucas looked back at Zelda over his shoulder. "She's a persona, just like how Peach always puts on her spoiled princess face in public. Yours is a persona that leaks into your identity, but it is a persona all the same."

"You think I'm more Sheik than Zelda."

"Seeing how you dressed up today, I would say that my theory has some merit." Lucas continued walking towards the center of the party. "What happens when you take off that costume? Without your title as 'princess,' who are you?"

Lucas disappeared into the crowd.

"Odd kid," Dunban said. "What happened to him?"

"Same thing as us." Zelda shrugged. "I wouldn't judge him too harshly."

"Oh, I'm not criticizing his behavior. In fact, he sounds quite a bit like Melia." Dunban frowned. "But decidedly darker."

"I might want to check up on Peach," Zelda said. "I do trust her, but…"

"Always good to be there in case your friends need help." Dunban smiled. "Would you like me to come with you?"

Zelda smiled.

"If you can follow me."

She heard sounds of Peach's voice and walked closer. It didn't take long before she approached a crowd, a mass of people near the windows looking out at the ball about to drop.

Only a couple minutes remained before the New Year began.

Zelda's shiekah training taught her many tricks, but the mundane ones were often the most useful: she could slip through crowds with ease. She only needed to picture it as one entity. While each person considered themself as an individual, crowds tended to influence movement patterns. In the same way that water was made of tiny particles bouncing around, Zelda could predict how a crowd as an overall _substance_ would move. She could travel along with the flow of the crowd, slipping by without anyone noticing.

She smiled as she wove her way in between people. It _had_ been some time since she had used her shiekah training for anything except for battle. And while she always joked that she should be grateful for anything that made her top tier, shiekah training was about stealth more than combat. Even using her training in a situation so insignificant, she felt like she was honoring her teacher Impa's legacy.

A hand fell on her shoulder, stopping Zelda in her tracks. She whirled around, careful not to bump into anyone else.

Ganondorf.

The king of evil looked the same as he always did; he, like Zelda, had not dressed up for the party. He glanced at her and the corners of his lips cracked upwards to form a smile.

"I'm surprised that you didn't dress up as the pig," Zelda said. "The form suits you."

Ganondorf's smile widened, but it still didn't reach his eyes.

"Ganon shall not make an appearance today," he said. "As much as I love the _visceral_ rage that accompanies my form as a boar…" he licked his lips. "It would not be prudent."

"How's Link doing?" Zelda said. "Still kicking your ass?"

"Now, now," Ganondorf said, wagging a finger. "Nintendo language restrictions-"

"You gutted my parents in front of my eyes. You killed _everyone_ who was a part of their regime. And you're lecturing me about bad words?"

"Of course." Ganondorf chuckled. "Parental restrictions are quite… interesting, are they not? We unleash powerful attacks capable of ravaging entire cities and we're fine. But show a little blood or say a word from some arbitrary list…"

"Listen," Zelda said. "I'm actually busy right now. I have to find a friend."

"A friend?" Ganondorf made a "hmm" sound. "I thought that you preferred to work alone."

"Why do you care?"

"Because," Ganondorf said, leaning in. "At the end of the day, we're not so different. You're the last of the shiekah, and my gerudo are dying out. Our ways of life are dying, Zelda."

Hadn't Dunban mentioned that he fought to keep his entire race alive? Clearly, Ganondorf saw the gradual decline of his gerudo empire in the same light.

"Your way of life," Zelda said, reeling back, "Involves _killing_ anyone who would get in your way."

"You do a lot of killing yourself," Ganondorf said. "Empires are built on blood, sweat, and tears. We're predators, Zelda. We hunt and slaughter. We let our own die so that we survive. The question boils down to not _if_ we kill _,_ but _whom."_

"Explain yourself."

"You Hylians disgust me with all of your _laws_ and _order_. Speaking against the crown is punishable by death, but a nobleman taxing farmers into starvation is perfectly fine. Your courts are corrupt and your laws give more coin to the rich while starving the poor. And don't get me started on all of your wars and the destruction that they cause."

"No system is perfect."

"Oh, but I've found one that is, and Hyrule flourished under my rule." Ganondorf grinned. "Do you know what it's like to grow up in the desert, Zelda? Nothing was stable. The merciless sands could and often did take away our valuables and our lives. We couldn't farm, couldn't manufacture goods, and couldn't even stay in the same place for long."

"Forgive me if I don't feel terribly sorry."

"It was beautiful," Ganondorf said.

"…What?"

"You Hylians are soft. Weak. You judge worth not by strength, but by _birth._ " Ganondorf sneered. "It's pathetic. A strong gerudo, a gerudo who can survive the sands, sun, and spears of the desert, will always have a place in my world. No matter who her parents are or where she was born, a gerudo is always given the chance to rise through the ranks."

"And those who aren't strong enough to assert their own will?"

Ganondorf smiled.

"Freedom always comes at a price," he said. "Laws exist to put more money in the pockets of fat aristocrats. Once you take the laws away, people will form into their own communities. Helpful individuals will find a place while the useless will be swept aside. The weak die and the strong live. That is the way it always has been, Zelda. That's the way it _should be._ "

Ganondorf gestured at the space around him.

"Look at these people, Zelda. So many different races, backgrounds, ages, abilities. But they can all fight, so they're welcome here. The competition allows us to grow stronger and achieve our true potential. This is what a perfect world looks like: different people with different skills competing for influence, and none of the baggage to hold us back."

"Anarchy doesn't work," Zelda said. "Our laws exist for a reason."

"You want to be a slave to your own system." Ganondorf shook his head. "It is understandable. There is comfort within your laws and regulations, but there is no growth. Many gerudo die to the sands and sun, but those who survive learn from their hardships and grow stronger. I wish to bring that to Hyrule."

"Tell that to Lucas," Zelda said. "He has all of the strength in the world, but he still couldn't protect the people he wanted to."

"That is Lucas," Ganondorf said. "But who are you, Zelda? I looked inside of my heart and found myself, but I think that you're still searching. You learned well to hide from me for seven years after I took over Hyrule. Whenever I face Zelda on the fields of battle, I see a pampered princess. But when I face Sheik…" Ganondorf smiled. "I know that I'm in for a challenge."

"Yes," Zelda said. "I'm aware that the matchup is quite difficult for you to deal with."

"You joke and look at the surface," Ganondorf said. "You're a smart girl, Zelda. You would have gone far as a gerudo. Why hold yourself back now?"

Ganondorf chuckled before fading away back into the crowd.

Zelda wormed her way back out of the mass of people and walked back into the corner of the room. Ganondorf _knew_ that his words would continue to irk her long after their conversation ended. As much as she hated to admit it, she felt a grudging respect for the man. He may have murdered her family and thrown Hyrule into chaos, but he recognized achievement when he saw it.

In a grim, grotesque way, his view on the world was almost _fair._ Zelda had seen so many starry-eyed Hylians held back by Hyrule's caste system. In Ganondorf's world, would they have been able to follow their dreams?

 _You lived through Ganondorf's world,_ Zelda reminded herself. _It was a nightmare._

It took Zelda a moment to realize that the crowd was counting down seconds until the New Year.

"10, 9, 8…"

It didn't feel like a new beginning. If anything, she had more to deal with than when she came.

"7, 6…"

"Zelda!"

She blinked, seeing Lucas and Peach running towards her from the crowd. Lucas wore a grin on his face and held a stack of gold coins in his hands. Peach rolled her eyes, moving quickly enough that Zelda assumed she wasn't wearing her normal high heels.

"5, 4…"

"I can't believe that Lucas tried to shake me down while drunk," Peach said.

"3, 2…"

"Were you actually drunk?" Zelda asked.

"1…"

Peach smiled.

"Happy New Year!"

The crowd erupted into cheer. Peach leaned in and whispered into Zelda's ear:

"Most of it was just cider. People here are too stupid to tell the difference."

She backed away and winked.

"Happy New Year," Lucas said. "I almost feel like celebrating _more._ I guess putting on Claus' helmet does things to me."

"And wearing my shadow queen outfit makes me want to take over the world," Peach said with a sigh. "Unfortunately, my ambitions must stop somewhere. World domination may not go over so well with the Nintendo officials."

Zelda let herself smile. Despite everything that Ganondorf had told her, despite Dunban's questions about her identity, she felt at home standing next to these two people. Peach could be rather obnoxious and Lucas often came off the wrong way, but she wouldn't have traded them for anyone in the world.

This New Year didn't have to be a clean slate. Zelda could focus on the friendships she had already established.

"I should go and apologize to Dunban," Zelda said. "I may have lost him in the crowds on purpose."

"So antisocial, Zelda." Peach rolled her eyes. "Well, I'll be over drinking some _real_ alcohol if you need me."

"I might try interacting with more strangers as well," Lucas said. "Sometimes, I think that there's more Claus in me than I want to admit. See you around."

"See you," Zelda said. "And happy New Year."

* * *

 **Zelda's last words in this fic apply to you all, as well. I wish you all the best for 2017! :)**

 **I apologize if this fic seems disorganized or otherwise lacking. I had to rush to put it together in time, but I didn't want to say that in the beginning out of fear that you would go in expecting a terrible fic. :) I hope that you still enjoyed it!**


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